For a long time, Melbourne Park was something of a home away from home for Serena Williams. Between 2003 and 2010, the American won 41 of 43 matches at the calendar’s opening major, picking up five titles along the way.

However, in recent years, success has proven harder to come by Down Under; early season rustiness, injuries and inspired opponents scuppering the World No.1’s chances.

And preparations for 2015’s title tilt were far from ideal. She eschewed her usual tune-up event in Brisbane in favor of the Hopman Cup, where she looked out of sorts in losing two of her three singles outings.

In her absence, several rivals profited, Maria Sharapova (Brisbane), Simona Halep (Shenzhen), Venus Williams (Auckland) and Petra Kvitova (Sydney) all lifting silverware.

The early rounds in Melbourne produced some eyebrow-raising exits, most notably Ana Ivanovic, who was bundled out by the unheralded Lucie Hradecka. Williams flirted with the idea of joining her on the casualty list, trailing by a set against her third and fourth round foes, Elina Svitolina and Garbiñe Muguruza.

If this was Williams’ wake-up call, then she certainly heeded it, producing some scintillating tennis in swatting aside Dominika Cibulkova and Madison Keys to return to the final once more.

Meeting her there was old rival Sharapova, whose destructive game proved no less dominant in her own semifinal against Ekaterina Makarova. The final, though, was a bridge too far, Williams overcoming some rocky moments to prevail in an encounter of the highest quality.

She was not the only player to enjoy a fruitful start to the season. Elsewhere, Halep recovered from her Australian Open setback to come through a strong field in Dubai, while Lucie Safarova hinted at what was to come with victory in Doha.

Elsewhere the prizes continued to be shared around, with faces old and new picking up silverware across the globe, including Daniela Hantuchova (Pattaya City), Timea Bacsinszky (Acapulco & Monterrey) and Caroline Wozniacki (Kuala Lumpur).

As the tour moved stateside, it was Halep once again in the winner’s circle, hoisting aloft the biggest trophy of her career to date in Indian Wells. In Miami, Williams returned to center stage, swatting aside Carla Suárez Navarro to defend her title and end the season’s opening chapter in style.